Radiator-valve.



-VAN VECHTON HESBER-.

RADIATOR VALVED APPLICAUON FILED Nuv.28.19u.

29 9 lll. 4 u' Patented. Jan. M, 1919.

TTORNEVS liti VAN VECI-I'ION RIESBERG, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE- I'IAIIAF TO FRANK I-I. DOUGHEI'LTY, OF FHILADELPI-I'Ilt, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dan. II, IWIH.,

Application filed November 8, 191'?. Serial No. 294,319.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VAN VEGHTON Rius BERG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Radiator-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to a valve mechanism for radiators which permits the air or other vapor to escape from the radiator and also operates to prevent the ingress of air thereto. It is well known that when the heating Huid, such as steam or water vapor` or the like, is turned off from a radiator the residual steam condenses tending to form a partial vacuum in the radiator, and if the automatic valve is then open then atmospheric air is forced into the radiator in view of the vacuum created. rIhis results in tending to fill the radiator with atmospheric air which must be displaced when the radiator is again turned on, thus interfering with the circulation of the heating fluid as well as delaying the time with which the radiator will be heated up. It is the object of this invention to overcome these difficulties and provide a simplified form of mechanism therefor which may be readily manufactured and which operates automatically to prevent to a large degree any ingress of 'air to the radiator when the heating fluid is turned off and a partial vacuum is fjormed therein. In this manner 'the vacuum is partially maintained in the several radiators of a heating system so that the circulation is greatly facilitated. In fact, I have found that it is possible to operate a heating system under pressure of less than one pound and eliminate. the necessity for the use of circulating pumps by the use of my valve mechanism in contradistinction to the usual steam pressure in some systems of from fifteen to twenty pounds and in which circulating pumps or vacuum pumps are also necessary.

It is also the object of my invention to use the valve mechanism for the purposes just stated, namely, to prevent the ingress of air to a radiator in combination with -a novel operating valve mechanism which will permit any air or vapor which may possibly ref main in the radiator to be driven therefrom when the steam or heating fluid is turned on, including a novel thermostatic valve of simple construction which operates to pre-s represents a similar view with vent the escape of steam after any residual air has been driven out as aforesaid.

Further objects of my invention relate to the mechanical construction of the valve mechanism used which may be of simple c0n struction and economical to manufacture, comprising a minimum number of parts which are not liable to get out of order but operate in an eiiicient manner for the purposes intended.

Referring to the drawings, wherein is illustrated one embodiment for carrying my invention into practice, Figure l represents a sectional view with the valve mechanisms in the position which they assume when the radiator is turned od' and in an unheated condition. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the valve mechanisms when the steam has just been turned on and before the thermostat has been heated, while Fig. 3 the heating fluid turned on in the radiator and the ther mostat expanded to prevent the escape of the fluid therefrom.

It is, of course, understood that various detailed forms of constructions might be readily utilized to carry my invention into effect and the form illustrated herewith is only shown by way of exemplilication of one form, and, as shown, l represents a suitable 35 hollow base provided with the cavity 2 and a nipple 3 adapted to be attached to the radiator by way of the screw threads 4l, for example. 4Secured to the base l is a casing 5 provided with a transverse partition 6 at its upper end, the partition 6 being provided with an orifice 7 which in the form illustrated may form the orifice through which any air or vapor may escape from the radiator, the same being automatically controlled to prevent the escape of the heating fluid and also prevent the ingress of air, as indicated above. It is to be understood that the base l and casing 5 may be of one piece as well as of two parts as just described and the two form a casing or chamber within which may be located any form of thermo,4 static device, such as the tube 10, adapted to contain a liquid, such as mercury, which, when expanding, operates on a suitable valve 11 to close the opening 7..

An eflicient arrangement for fixing the tube l0 in position within the casing 5 is illustrated in the drawings by way of the inverted cupwhaped member l2 provided with a central opening through which the tube extends, the same-being secured to `the cup 12, for example, by reason of the outer flange 13 and Va bead or projection 1% on opposite sides of the transverse wall 15 of the cup 12. The transverse wall 15 of the cup or sleeve 12 is provided with openings the sum ofrthe areas of which should preferably be made at least asgreat as that of the opening 7 Vfor a purpose that will .hereinafter appear. The sleeve 12 isadapted to frictionally engage ,the wall of the chamber l5 `and v,thus rigidly secure the tube 1,0 inproper operative position in the .de-

' vice.`

The-opening 7 is adapted to be controlled by'a second valve 20 `which closes the :opening 27 frornthe outside of thecasing 5 and this vvalve forms one means whereby .air is prevented from entering the casing and radiator and at the-same time air from the Yradiator is permitted to escape therefrom,

Various -forrns kof valve constructions could readily .be used for this purpose and the `valvey could be maintained in proper operative position by Y,different arrangements or deVCes but one 4,form therefor constitutes a cap 22 adapted-to be ffrietionally held over the partition 6 inthe casing 5 and spaced :therefrom vforming a second partition or .Wall above the partition 6 and of cou-rse both thepartition Vand wall could be located entirely `within `the easing. VThe cap 22 is provided with a plurality of openings 23 vand it is my intention to make the size of the openings 23 such as that the sum of the areas thereof is not less than the area of Ithe opening 7 in the same manner that the openingsin-the wall 15 of the sleeve 12 are .not substantially less than the area of the opening 7, with the resultthat a. continuous opening from the interior ofthe casing 5 to the Yexterior atmosphere is substantially unrestricted or ythe same area throughout. The valve isprovided witharib 25 Vwhich is .adapted Yto prevent the valve 20 from closing ether opnngs 23, yas is `-clearly shown in Fig.'2,.and-thereforethe partitions 6 adjacent the-opening 7.1nay likewise be provided-with afrfidge or rib 71adaptedto form :a seat'for-the grooveformed on the under- :side of the yribff25 ofthe valve 20. It will Vbe furtherfnoted that .the spacev between the valves 1-1; and `20iand the walls of the casing gorcap, respectively, VmayV also be such as to :permit theirs@ escape-of, any Aair or vapor from ftheradiator, as will .hereinafter ap- 'nearand .ffurtheri .that this area `of open .space l prefer should fnot be `less than the farsa 'efitheopenng '7- Y VThe operation of 'my invention rwill be readilvunderstood ,fram-th@ feregong d@- scrptien andthe accompanying drawings 'Where it wwill be seenY that with the-parts inposition lshown in Fig. 1V and the steam or other heating iluid is turned on to the radiator, the steam will operate to force any residual air or other vapor within the radiator out through the nipple 3 and chamber 5 through the openings in the cup 15, around-the edge of the valve 11 and through the opening 7, forcing` the valve 2O into the position shown in Fig. 2, the air in the meantime passing around the edge of the valve 2O and out through the orifices 23 in the cap 22. As the steam or heating fluid drives all the air out of the radiator and comes in contact with the tube 10 in the casing 5, it expands the mercury therein which in turn raises the valve 11 to close the opening 7 and thus prevent the escape of steam from the radiator. As no more air is passingout, the valve 20 drops down onto the rib 7 of the partition (i, as shown in Fig. 8, this being the position which the mechanism assumes when the radiator is being maintained in a heated condition.

lhen the steam is turned ofi and the radiator cools, thus condensing any steam remaining therein and forming a partial vacuum, the thermostat contracts, thus permitting the valve 11 to move to the position shown in Fig. 1, but the valve 20, which in this position closes the orifice 7, prevents any air from passing into the easing and to the radiator as will be readily apparent. This results inthe maintaining within the radiator of at least a partial vacuum which has the advantages hereinbefore set forth of facilitating the circulation of the steam when the radiator is again turned on, thus tending to increase the eiiiciency of the heating system, permitting its operation under a materially reduced pressure., thus saving coal in operating the plant and also obviating the necessity for the use of circulating pumps as is common in heating systems of any material size.

The detailed construction illustrated in the drawings as one embodiment of my invention is regarded by me as having certain .advantages as vabove suggested in view of taining the tube 10 in position is also a very simple and efficient arrangement for securing the tube 10 centrally of the casing 5. It .is understood, however, that the detailed ,construction may be widely varied without, departingl from the spirit and scope of my invention as pointed out in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. ln a device of the character described, the combination of a hollow casing adapted to be secured to a radiator, an inverted cupshaped sleeve frictionally secured Within said casing provided With openings therethrough, a tube suspended from said sleeve and adapted to contain a fluid to operate as a thermostat, a partition across said casing provided With an opening, a valve controlled by said thermostat and adapted to close said opening to prevent egress of a heating iiuid and a valve above said partition and adapt ed to close said opening to prevent the ingress of air to the casing through said openinfr.

ln a device of the character described, the combination of a hollow casing adapted to be secured to a radiator, a tube adapted to contain a fluid to operate as a thermostat, a sleeve secured to the upper end of said tube and engaging the Walls of the casing' to iX- edly position the tube in said casing, an opening through said sleeve adjacent said tube, a partition across said casing and provided With an opening, a valve controlled by said thermostat and adapted to close said opening from Within said casing, a cap provided With openings therein located on said casing and a valve between said cap and partition to close the opening in the partition from Without said casing.

3. ln a valve mechanism for radiators,the combination of a casing adapted to be secured to and communicating With a radiator, said casing being provided With an vopening to the atmosphere, a valve for controlling said opening, a thermostat for controlling said valve and means to secure said thermostat to said casing comprising a cupshaped sleeve secured to said tube and casing, said cup-shaped sleeve being provided with openings connecting said casing with said first-mentioned opening.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a hollow casing adapted to be secured to a radiator, a sleeve positioned adjacent the upper end of said casing, a tube located Within the casing and adapted to contain a fluid to operate as a thermostat, means extending inwardly from said sleeve to retain the tube in operative position, a partition across the casing provided with an opening, a valve controlled by said thermostat adapted to close the opening from below said partition and a valve located above said partition and adapted to close the opening therein to prevent the ingress of air to said casing.

5. In an attachment for radiators, the combination of a casing provided with a partition having an air exit opening, a ridge around said opening constituting a valve seat, a Wall above said partition having a passage therethrough, a valve provided with an annular rib adapted to cooperate with the ridge around the opening in said partition to close the opening and adapted to coperate with the lower surface of said Wall to prevent said valve from closing the passage in said Wall.

6. lin a valve mechanism for radiators, the combination of a casing adapted to be secured to and communicate with said radiator, said casing provided With a passage to the atmosphere, a valve for controlling said passage, a. thermostat :for controlling said valve, and means to position said thermostat in said casing by suspending the same from 'a sleeve engaging said thermostat and the Walls of said casing.

rIn Witness whereof, li have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of November, A. D.

VAN VEGHTON RlESBERG.

@epica ot thm patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner et Pat-entr, Wuhin gton. D. 6. 

